Have you ever gotten an email and had to read it several times just to understand what's being said?

Does your brain fog over a little bit when reading something like "We need a more contemporary reimagining of our parallel monitored alignment" ?

This is just too many words, and too many complicated ones. Amid jargon, acronyms and academic speak, it's all too easy for meaning to get lost in translation - and for people to lose interest.

If you are unsure whether your text is as clear as it can be, try using the Hemmingway App which is designed to improve the readability of your writing and use the app to aim to achieve Grade 8 readability or lower.

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Information on UL.ie shouldn't be ambiguous to the point where it confuses or alienates users. It should be kept clear, informative and to the point.

This makes content easier to navigate for everyone and respects users with additional like dyslexia,  cognitive disabilities, or non-native English speakers.

Here's a list of commonly used words and their plain English alternatives.

This isn't a case of replacing 'hard' words with 'easy' ones, nor is it 'dumbing down'.

Making these swaps makes your emails, presentations, documents, and web content a lot clearer and accessible for everyone.

  1. Utilise - Use

  2. Acquire - Get

  3. Implement - Use

  4. Obtain - Get

  5. Facilitate - Help

  6. Initiate - Start

  7. Endeavour - Try

  8. Procure - Get

  9. Optimise - Improve

  10. Expedite - Speed up

  11. Comprehend - Understand

  12. Ascertain - Find out

  13. Sufficient - Enough

  14. Alleviate - Ease

  15. Abide - Follow

  16. Mitigate - Reduce

  17. Collaborate - Work together

  18. Rectify - Correct

  19. Peruse - Read

  20. Encompass - Include